Chicken Pox!!!

[ilovemcbride]

I'm 28 years old and I've never had the chicken pox. One of our 5th graders has them. She was all hugged up to me on Monday. What are my chances of catching them now? I was the only one in my kindergarten class who didn't get them! I don't know what I'd do if I caught them!!

 

[LMC]

You should call your doctor. Perhaps they can give you the vaccine and it would help some. The pox are suppose to be real bad for adults. I'd call the doctor tomorrow a.m. I think it takes 2 weeks to break out after exposure

 

[ADisneygirl]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but chicken pox is highly contagious. Symptoms will appear in you a week or two after exposure. When I was 24 I contracted chicken pox. The only place I could have caught this was at the mall somewhere or the grocery, because it was winter (in NY) and I didn't go anywhere but the mall 2 times that month and the grocery once a week. I was not in direct contact with any kids, but I guess pushing the grocery carts or the Caldor's cart could have spread the germs to me.

I woke up one morning and my husband said "Eww.. you have a nasty pimple on your forehead". I ran off to the bathroom because I didn't get blemishes often and what I saw shocked me. It was a chicken pox blister, not a pimple! I hada few on my stomach as well. As the day progressed and for the next couple of days, more and more pox erupted all over, in my ears, bottom of my feet, scalp....everywhere.

After I had suffered 2 weeks with it, my husband got it. He had it worse, with 105 temp. We had to rush off to the E.R we were so afraid for him.

I think they have a vaccination for this now. Hopefully your dr. can give you something to prevent an outbreak. I'd go see him soon.

 

[luvmyboys]

I hate to add to the scary news, but one of my GFs had it a few years ago at age 30, and as a result gets recurring breakouts of shingles, which are apparently one of the most painful things you can get. She is a tough cookie- black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a master in several other martial arts, but when she gets a breakout, she is in bed writhing in pain...

Aren't we all just full of light and joyous news for you? I hope hope hope you are spared!! Keep us posted!

 

[Froggyswife]

I got chicken pox at age 30 from my dd. I ran 104 fever for almost 2 weeks. Before I knew I had it I made the mistake of going to a tanning bed BAD IDEA brought the pox out big time. I looked like a stawberry and still have the scars 12 years later. It is a lot tougher on grownups than kids both my kids ended up with them at the same time as I. They were running around like it was nothing I laid on the couch feeling like I was going to die.

If you do break out stay out of sunlight it makes it worse.

 

[scraptoons]

To the OP...I hope all these replies didn't scare ya to death!

I hope you don't get them. It is true that adults get a bad case of them.

I don't know about the vaccine working for you after an exposure. It's something the pediatricians give to the 1 year old babies along with the other immunizations.

But since you are a teacher, getting the vaccine would probably be a good idea for the future...just so that you don't go thru this scare again.
I would wait until the "incubation" period has passed, to make sure you won't have them.

The small percentage of kids who have had the vaccine and still get it...they get an extremely mild case, that is not recognizable as chicken pox as we adults knew them in our childhood.
My own DD had them a year ago (she is 5 now). It just looked like little chigger bites all over. Only one spot itched.
Doctors confirmed this, but 5 or 6 grandmas at our church didn't believe it.

 

[krcit]

Yuck. I had the chicken pox when I was 22. The Dr gave me some heavy duty herpes meds that really helped keep the pox ata bay but boy did I feel like garbage for a few days. I hope you don't get them

 

[Tiggerlover91]

My DH had chicken pox when he was 33, and his case was severe as far as the breakout of them. He got them everywhere....and I mean everywhere!! We got him to the doctor about a day after we realized what was going on and they gave him a medication to stop the outbreak. We were then told to continue the calamine lotion and the oatmeal baths. I slept on the futon and DH took the bed. I already had the pox but I've heard you can be just be a carrier. Well, I work in a restaurant and I wanted to be as careful as possible. I think it was about a week when DH was finally over them, but he still has a few scars to show from them. Just keep your eye out and best of luck to ya! Hope all turns out well.

 

[Wonderlandmom]

http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/varicella/faqs-gen-vaccine.htm#18-get-prevent

You may want to try and get that shot today! 3 days after exposure may prevent!

 

[SideshowBob]

Was odd... as SSB tried to get the preventative shot as an adult, as had never had them as a child... but from some test they thought that I had an anitbody.

Wellsie, my DD who had had the shot, did end up getting them... and guess who else did as well? Yup. SSB. Had them when I was almost 40, so about as adult as you can be. Luckily, SSB already had his three kiddos, as hear can cause some bad impacts...

Did get some strong drugs which helped the itching/pain... but always claimed that I looked like a creature from the Bar Scene of "Star Wars"... ack!!!

I shall be hoping for you to avoid!

 

[ozarkmom]

I'm 40 and have never had them. All 3 of my kids have had them and my little brother so I guess I must have an immunity to them.

 

[momsgoofy]

Well, since you've already ready this far, then the OP knows chicken pox in adults is awful! My DS was 3 when he contracted them...no vaccine then nor when I was a kid. I was 28 when my first pox showed up on April 15...lovely tax day, huh? I knew it was very likely I'd contract them from DS because I was the only person he wanted when he felt bad. I had the stinkin' spots everywhere, entire body, scalp, and a couple internally...itched like the dickens. I, like other adults here, had a high temp of 103 degrees. My doctor at the time didn't believe me that I had chicken pox...I was an adult...so he asked me to come into the office...HELLO! I'm contagious! He had me sneak in the back door and straight into an exam room. Yep, you've got 'em he said and gave me a prescription for a mega dose anitbiotic...worked like a charm to get that fever down. He warned me that I could easily contract shingles later in life and I thought...yeah, right. Worst thing for me at the time was that I was still a student in my interpreter program and it was almost final exams...all of my videos I had to tape of my interpreting show me with the remains of the chicken pox. (I had them so bad that my mom took my picture for proof....lol)

Well, July 2004 I sure did! Shingles are less fun than chicken pox...your nerve ending tingle and hurt worse than anything. When I went to my doctor (different than before), she gave me the same antibiotic and it worked wonders. It seems stress had been the contributing factor this time...8 hours of undergraduate courses in the summer (sheesh!) and my uncle died, which I helped his children with the funeral. What was really weird though was that 2 of my sisters had contracted shingles also that summer; one in late May and the other in June. We had no contact with one another though...just learned of each other's plight on the phone.

The funny thing about my chicken pox is that DS and I have very few scars, but the ones we do are in either the exact same place or mirror opposites.

If you get chicken pox...get medical help as soon as possible because as an adult they can be really bad and there are things that will make it easier and less uncomfortable for ya.

 

[angel's momma]

I had a similar experience.

Never had them as a child.

Ran story hour at the library in my 20's.

Had a sweet little boy who just wanted to snuggle one day.

His mother called the next day & said I should contact the story hour parents because he had chicken pox.

Just about every child in the group ended up with it.

I didn't though - so you may not either.

I've been exposed several times since, and never had them.

 

[luvwinnie]

Have you contacted your doctor yet?

 

[Pembo]

My doc tested me to see if I was immune then when it was found I wasn't she had me get the shot, in two stages. My doc convinced me to get the shot when she told me about a pregnant woman that died after getting the chicken pox. Scary..

 

[vettechick99]

I got chicken pox at 22. I have no idea where I got it - I'm assuming at school by some stranger since none of my friends had it. Like the other posters have said, it's highly contagious. Once I found out I had it (after I spotted three sores on my torso I hightailed it to the doc), she put me on Zovorax and it helped curb the infection. Although I did have some majoy side effects that I won't mention on the boards.

Anyway, within 4 days I was scabbed over and only took a week off of school. If you catch it early, you might not get a severe case.

 

[ilovemcbride]

Oh my gosh!! No, I haven't called my doctor. I'm itching now just thinking about it. Her little brother is in school and I keep thinking, shouldn't his mom keep him home?? He's 4, so I bet chances are he'll get them. Someone mentioned her husband told her she looked like she had a huge pimple on her head...that's what I thought when I saw this girl. I thought she was just breaking out really, really bad. And she was SO hateful that day. Now I guess I know why. Everybody wish me luck and hope I don't get them!!

 

[mom2of2]

My DH hadn't had them either and when our first son got the shot we had my DH get it as well. He had to go get another shot 30 days later.
Good luck!!

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

I didn't have them as an adult. I'm just here to wish you well, and hope that you don't get them!!